January 27th, 2015 If We Were Robots

January 27th, 2015 If We Were Robots

I slept in really well today. It was a vacation day and I made the best of it, no alarm and slept until I didn't want to anymore. While enjoying my coffee, I noticed an article about plant based diets posted to my Facebook page, with the question:

"Care to comment on this? It's that argument (i.e. lie) that you can eat all the plants you want and lose weight."

The article was written by medical professionals at www.pcrm.org PCRM stands for Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine.

It starts with: New research from the Physicians Committee shows a plant-based vegetarian diet is an easy way to help you lose weight without counting calories. And goes on to say: “The take-home message is that a plant-based diet can help you lose weight without counting calories and without ramping up your exercise routine,” says Neal Barnard, M.D., lead author of the study, president of the Physicians Committee, and an adjunct associate professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. “We hope health care providers will take note and prescribe this approach to patients looking to manage their weight and health.”

I personally have a friend who eats strictly plant based foods and she still struggles with weight loss, just like the rest of us. So after reading the entire article, I did comment:

On the surface, it would appear to be a solid plan with great tips. If we go down a little below the surface, we quickly run into issues medical experts often fail to recognize and consider.  It amazes me when highly educated professionals put together textbook plans like this, for humans, without considering the human element. 

If we were robots, we could easily be programmed to follow the recommendations to the letter, every time. If we were robots, these tips would give us exactly the kind of results a plan like this intends. But we're not robots, we're people; humans, with emotions, stress and  an individual path affected by our lifetime experiences.

Before the human element is even considered, let's discuss simple calories in Vs. calories out. Many plant based foods are naturally low in calories, of course. Still, it's easy to get into some fairly calorie dense selections in this category. When we're talking about avocados and legumes, especially. And yes, they're extremely healthy—packed full of good stuff, but still calorie dense.  And what about the calorie dense addition of olive oil and other things we often use to make all of this food more palatable? To suggest eating these things with few restrictions, if any, is a guaranteed path to weight loss, is a flawed suggestion from the start. When you start exploring the human element, you quickly discover these plans and suggestions are perfect for the most well adjusted and unaffected people on our planet, or programmable robots.

Someone who has a history of stress and emotional eating, not to mention those of us with food addiction behaviors, should never, for a second, adopt a plan that suggests eating without limits.  Yes, the food within the plan is good for us, but what happens when we encounter the triggers of stress or emotions? Let's assume we stay within the food allowed, all plant based.  Are we capable of buffering our emotions and stress with additional food and calories?  Yes, we are capable. 

The idea of ditching the calorie budget, on one level, is very attractive, especially to someone like me who has a history of stress/emotional eating and food addiction issues. But it ISN'T attractive to the sane/rational part of my brain. It's ONLY attractive to the part of my brain that's itching to take over in a no-limits/less restrictive structureless environment. 

Structure is important for the majority of people who find themselves in need of weight loss. For many of us, ignoring the psychological and emotional elements while attempting a prescribed “perfect” plan, is like driving a car without lug nuts on the wheels. Eventually the wheels are coming off.

If we embark on a plant based plan and we're careful with the calorie budget, and we work on the issues within us, the ones often compelling us to eat more, then yes, wonderful results straight ahead! If we're affected by emotional/stress eating and/or food addiction issues-and we ignore the structure and limits needed for our individual success, then we'll quickly head toward frustration with negative results.

It would be much easier if we were robots.
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Today felt like a weekend with all of the Saturday/Sunday challenges in keeping a slightly off center food plan. I didn't eat my first food of day until Noon. I wasn't hungry again until over four hours later. In order to take care of the calorie budget and not fall short, I decided on a late afternoon lunch and then dinner after the weekly evening weight loss support group teleconference. Had this been a normal day, my goal would have been to have dinner finished before the call.

I made it to the YMCA this afternoon for some upper body lifting and cardio. It's very interesting to go at different times because it's a completely different crowd.

It was a very successful day! Tomorrow is weigh day. After the two pound loss from three weeks ago, I honestly have no idea what I'll see on the scale at the doctor's office tomorrow. Whatever it is, I'm ready for it, no matter what. I'll be well, regardless.

My Tweets Today:

Slept in on my day off. Coffee! Sugar free hazelnut creamer. 30 cal X 2= 60 cal. pic.twitter.com/ijhT5EzmUq
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) January 27, 2015

Three whole eggs, one hard, two over medium, Cara Cara Sunkist orange, medium Fuji apple. Full plate of food! 370 cal pic.twitter.com/Iv0VSoAYaY
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) January 27, 2015

2 cups. #wateraccountability Upper body weight training followed by cardio, about to commence. pic.twitter.com/CUnCAar4Dt
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) January 27, 2015

Jumping on elliptical. #timetomove #herecomesthesweat pic.twitter.com/1Rrj3v7UPL
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) January 27, 2015

#Elliptical #endorphinrush Good workout! pic.twitter.com/tho0x50g1m
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) January 27, 2015

Refill after workout. 2 cups. #watertracking pic.twitter.com/iq0JLN1ZaP
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) January 27, 2015

Gluten free bread w/2 tblspns peanut butter & 1 srv all fruit SF spread. 1/2 apple. 2 cups cashew milk. 415 cal. pic.twitter.com/ce3BYJSkWz
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) January 27, 2015

Refilled from tap. I must drink this liter to make my water goal for the day! #watertracking #waterchallenge pic.twitter.com/7FUxK0QvpL
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) January 28, 2015

6oz 96% lean beef, 1 slice swiss, 1 slice Colby-jack, mustard, veggies & gluten free bread. Sweet pot.fries. 649 cal. pic.twitter.com/wgCP9mLqIr
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) January 28, 2015

Medium Fuji apple & Cara Cara orange. #lastfoodofday 160 cal. pic.twitter.com/nUaR5Mk6UK
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) January 28, 2015

Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean